Queensrÿche has sold over 20 million albums worldwide, including over 6 million albums in the United States. They are considered one of the leaders of the progressive metal scene of the mid-to-late 1980s, and often referred to as one of the "Big Three" of the genre, along with Dream Theater and Fates Warning. The band received worldwide acclaim after the release of their 1988 album Operation: Mindcrime, which is often considered one of the greatest heavy metal concept albums of all time. Their follow-up release, Empire, released in 1990, was also very successful and included the hit single "Silent Lucidity". The band has received three Grammy Award nominations for songs from both albums. In 1998, drummer Rockenfield received an individual Grammy nomination.
Also in 1998, guitarist and primary songwriter Chris DeGarmo left the band for personal reasons, returning briefly in 2003 to write and record the Tribe album. Over the years, his replacements have been Kelly Gray, Mike Stone, and Parker Lundgren. Following a highly publicized backstage altercation before a show in São Paulo, Brazil, in April 2012, Tate was fired from the band and replaced with then-Crimson Glory singer Todd La Torre. In response to his dismissal, Tate and his wife Susan (who served as the band's manager from 2005 to 2012) filed a lawsuit in a Washington court, claiming that he was wrongfully terminated. The ruling in the preliminary injunction was that both parties were allowed to use the name Queensrÿche until a court ruling or a settlement decided who would get to use the name. A settlement was reached on April 17, 2014, in which founding members Wilton, Rockenfield and Jackson were awarded the rights to the band trademark, continuing to play with the lineup that additionally includes singer La Torre and guitarist Lundgren.
During the time, both parties could use the name Queensrÿche, Tate created his own lineup featuring former guitarist Gray and musicians from bands including Blue Öyster Cult, Ozzy Osbourne, Whitesnake, Dio, AC/DC and Quiet Riot. This version of Queensrÿche with Geoff Tate released the album Frequency Unknown on April 23, 2013, while Queensrÿche (with La Torre replacing Tate) released their eponymous album on June 24 and 25, 2013 (European and American release date, respectively). Both bands toured in 2013 and 2014.
Full article: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Queensrÿche
Studio albums
The Warning (1984)
Rage for Order (1986)
Operation: Mindcrime (1988)
Empire (1990)
Promised Land (1994)
Hear in the Now Frontier (1997)
Q2K (1999)
Tribe (2003)
Operation: Mindcrime II (2006)
Take Cover (2007)
American Soldier (2009)
Dedicated to Chaos (2011)
Queensrÿche (2013)
Condition Hüman (2015)
The Verdict (2019)
Digital Noise Alliance (2022)
Geoff Tate's Queensrÿche
Frequency Unknown (2013)
Suite Sister Mary
Queensrÿche Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
"Kill Mary?"
"She's a risk, and get the priest as well"
Ten P.M., I feel the rain coming down
My face feels the wet, my mind the storm
Flashing lights as people race to find shelter from the pour
Moving silent, through the streets, they're mine, they're mine
Midnight, she sings praises in the Hall
To saintly faces hallowed be their names she can't recall
Sister Mary, virgin Mary, silent with her sin
("What are you doing out in the rain?")
She feels me, I can taste her breath when she speaks
("I've been waiting for you, come in")
Mary, Mary just a whore for the underground
(They made you pay in guilt for your salvation)
Thought you had them fooled? Now they've sent me for you
You know too much for your own good
Don't offer me faith, I've got all I need here
(My faith is growing, growing tight against the seam)
What we need is trust, to keep us both alive
Help us make it through the night
I've no more want of any faith
Binds my arm and feed my mind
The only peace I've ever known
I'll close my eyes and you shoot
No Mary, listen, you've got to pull your strength
(From my lips, I pray I feed you well)
Your precious cross is gone, it made me wait so long
For what you gave to everyone
The priest is cold and dead on his knees he fed
(From my barrel of death, he turned)
The Holy water red, as he died he said "thank you"
I just watched him bleed
I feel the flow, the blessed stain
Sweating hands like fire, and flames
Burn my thighs, spread in sacrificial right
The hallowed altar burns my flesh once more tonight
Mary, my lady of pain
Always alone
Blind you search for the truth
I see myself in you, parallel lives
Winding at light-speed through time
No time to rest yet
We've got to stop his game
(Before madness has the final laugh)
Too much bloodshed
We're being used and fed
Like rats in experiments
There's no final outcome here
Only pain and fear
(It's followed us both all our lives)
There's one thing left to see
Will it be him or me?
There's one more candle left to light
Don't turn your back on my disgrace
The blood of Christ can't heal my wounds, so deep
The sins of man are all I taste
Can't spit the memory from my mind
I can't cry anymore
Mary, my lady of pain, always alone
Blind you search for the truth
I see myself in you, parallel lives
Winding at light-speed through time, you're mine
The lyrics to Queensrÿche's "Suite Sister Mary" tell a story of a hitman who is sent to kill a woman named Mary, who is seen as a risk by those who have hired him. As he approaches her, Mary is singing praises to the saints, but the hitman sees her as a "whore for the underground" and believes that she knows too much. As he contemplates killing her, Mary tells him that she sees herself in him and believes that they are living parallel lives. The hitman ultimately decides to kill the priest as well, and Mary's final fate is left ambiguous.
The lyrics are open to interpretation, but they seem to be exploring themes of faith, sin, and redemption. Mary is portrayed as a sinner who is seeking salvation, but the hitman sees her as beyond redemption. He is also shown to be struggling with his own faith, as he rejects the idea of offering him faith and instead seeks trust. The song's final lines suggest that there is no easy resolution to their story, and that they are both trapped in a cycle of pain and fear.
Line by Line Meaning
Kill her. That's all you have to do
Eliminate Sister Mary
Kill Mary?
Confirming that Sister Mary is the target
She's a risk, and get the priest as well
The singer wants the priest killed too because he knows too much
Ten P.M., I feel the rain coming down
The artist sets the mood of the night
My face feels the wet, my mind the storm
The artist is emotional and reflective of the situation
Flashing lights as people race to find shelter from the pour
The singer observes the city's reaction to the heavy rain
Moving silent, through the streets, they're mine, they're mine
The singer moves stealthily, feeling in control
Midnight, she sings praises in the Hall
Sister Mary is worshipping during the night
To saintly faces hallowed be their names she can't recall
Sister Mary is searching for those she's worshipping
Sister Mary, virgin Mary, silent with her sin
Mary is a nun who appears pure but has secrets
('What are you doing out in the rain?')
Mary greets the singer who is outside in the rain
She feels me, I can taste her breath when she speaks
The artist and Mary have a personal connection
('I've been waiting for you, come in')
Mary invites the singer inside
Mary, Mary just a whore for the underground
The singer is insulting Mary, calling her a prostitute
(They made you pay in guilt for your salvation)
Mary has been judged by her religion and punished for it
Thought you had them fooled? Now they've sent me for you
Mary has been found out and the artist has been sent to punish her
You know too much for your own good
The artist implies that Mary knows things she shouldn't
Don't offer me faith, I've got all I need here
The singer rejects religion and prefers violence
(My faith is growing, growing tight against the seam)
Mary is experiencing doubt and conflict with her faith
What we need is trust, to keep us both alive
The artist suggests that they need each other to survive
Help us make it through the night
The artist asks Mary to help with the task at hand
I've no more want of any faith
The artist has no use for religion or belief
Binds my arm and feed my mind
The singer feels controlled by their violent urges
The only peace I've ever known
Violence and killing bring the artist a sense of calm
I'll close my eyes and you shoot
The singer asks Mary to shoot them, possibly to end the violence
No Mary, listen, you've got to pull your strength
The singer encourages Mary to be strong
(From my lips, I pray I feed you well)
The singer wants Mary to take their advice
Your precious cross is gone, it made me wait so long
The artist has taken Mary's cross and resents waiting for her
For what you gave to everyone
The artist blames Mary for spreading her faith
The priest is cold and dead on his knees he fed
The priest is dead after being forced to kneel and pray
(From my barrel of death, he turned)
The priest was killed by the singer's gun
The Holy water red, as he died he said 'thank you'
The priest was grateful to be killed in the name of his religion
I just watched him bleed
The artist feels no emotion after killing the priest
I feel the flow, the blessed stain
The artist feels a sense of power and blessing from the violence
Sweating hands like fire, and flames
The singer is excited and heated by the violence
Burn my thighs, spread in sacrificial right
The artist's violent actions feel like a religious sacrifice
The hallowed altar burns my flesh once more tonight
The singer's violent acts feel like a religious ritual
Mary, my lady of pain
The singer sees Mary as a fellow victim of violence and pain
Always alone
Mary is emotionally isolated
Blind you search for the truth
Mary is trying to understand her faith and beliefs
I see myself in you, parallel lives
The artist relates to Mary's struggles and life experiences
Winding at light-speed through time, you're mine
The singer feels a strong connection to Mary
No time to rest yet
The violent situation is not over
We've got to stop his game
The artist wants to end the puppeteer's control
(Before madness has the final laugh)
The artist fears the consequences of their actions
Too much bloodshed
The artist acknowledges the violence
We're being used and fed
The singer feels like a pawn in a larger scheme
Like rats in experiments
The artist feels trapped and experimented on
There's no final outcome here
The singer feels uncertain about the future
Only pain and fear
The singer acknowledges the emotional impact of violence
(It's followed us both all our lives)
The singer and Mary have experienced violence for a long time
There's one thing left to see
The artist is focused on the final outcome
Will it be him or me?
The artist is questioning the outcome of the situation
There's one more candle left to light
The singer is metaphorically referring to one last thing to do
Don't turn your back on my disgrace
The singer's violent actions are shameful and deserving of condemnation
The blood of Christ can't heal my wounds, so deep
The artist is beyond redemption and forgiveness
The sins of man are all I taste
The artist is consumed by guilt and remorse
Can't spit the memory from my mind
The artist is haunted by their violent memories
I can't cry anymore
The singer is emotionally numb after the violence
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Written by: CHRIS DEGARMO, TATE
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
moparedtn
This band was truly next level metal in the 80's. Here at the top of their game,
there simply wasn't anything else in their league.
The songwriting, the technical abilities, the PERFORMANCE was top notch.
Very few could match them in the arena as a band - perhaps Rush, but nobody
else comes readily to mind.
Their work ethic is evident; you don't hear many miscues or mistakes.
Special shout out to Chris DeGarmo here - yes, he was an amazing songwriter
and a player with talent AND feel, but his stage presence as lead guitarist was
unique and excellent as well.
Top that off with vocal abilities to back up Tate and just wow...
The man was a perfectionist and no note was underplayed or glossed over -
he nailed every single one, in the manner it needed played. No less.
When he left the band, my interest left with him.
-Ed on the Ridge
Shelby's Mama
I agree. When I heard the lyric below again, all I could think was "Daaaaayyyyuuuuummmmm!"
Fighting fire with empty words
While the banks get fat
And the poor stay poor
And the rich get rich
And the cops get paid
To look away
As the one percent rules America
Eric Payne
+D King No good concept albums nowadays, huh? If I may recommend:
Seventh Wonder - Mercy Falls (2008)
Transatlantic - The Whirlwind (2009)
Porcupine Tree - Deadwing (2005)
Kamelot - The Black Halo (2005)
Haken - Aquarius (2010)
Rush - Clockwork Angels (2012)
Steven Wilson - Hand. Cannot. Erase. (2015)
Caligula's Horse - The Tide, The Thief, and River's End (2013)
Muse - Drones (2015)
Just saying, they're out there! Poke around a bit, lots of fantastic music you might be missing! :D
LEPERCOLONY1
Now I'm in my 50's and still listening to this brilliant album
Brent Ray
You ain't alone in that!
pjotr katzanduro
Me too
pjotr katzanduro
Me too
JP G
As well you should be. It’s one of the great albums ever made.
Jennifer Gough
Me too!
Jim Holycross
This album is more relevant today. Than when it came out. Truly one of the best albums ever. Underrated Masterpiece!!!
jack black
becomes more and more reality
Lanette Hernandez
Priceless Masterpiece ❤❤❤
Mathias Bry
Really the best concept album according to me... more than the wall from pink floyd... i do really appreciate them but queensryche are a little bit more powerfull '!